


A Graceless Heart

by erbby17



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adventure, Chaptered, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, First War with Voldemort, Gen, Marauder's Era (Harry Potter), Marauders' Era, Original Character(s), POV Original Character, Romance, Slytherin, Slytherin OC - Freeform, Slytherin/Gryffindor Pairing, Tragedy, the first wizarding war
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-20
Updated: 2015-09-03
Packaged: 2018-03-08 08:12:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3201983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erbby17/pseuds/erbby17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” - Albus Dumbledore. </p><p>In the years of the infamous Marauders, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, there was one witch, Lavinia Agon, who held her head high and set her eyes to a bright future. But with the rise of the Dark Lord, Voldemort, and the horrors of the First Wizarding War, Lavinia finds that some choices are easier to make than others.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A First of Many

**Author's Note:**

> This story and character have roots from over 7 years ago. I recently decided to revive my ideas and I'm pretty excited with how things are turning out so far. The first few chapters will be mostly character building, with many cameos, before things start to get interesting.

It was a house that inspired legends; from its boarded up windows to the eerie way the moon would glow behind it, locals could spin many tales about its last inhabitants. Its shadow ominously cast over the quaint village at the bottom of the hill, the house gave off an unsettling vibe that perhaps a murder occurred behind those dark, stone walls. Whatever the story, it was known to be off limits.

The locals had no problem avoiding it, save for a few brave souls. They would barely make it to the front oak doors, waiting at the end of a cobblestone walk that began at the wrought-iron fence. Ivy and moss wound itself around the rusted gate and through the monogrammed A, which had the shivering touch of an iron snake as its circular frame. 

Perhaps it was only the locals who looked at the structure as an abandoned house, because those who had the right set of eyes could see past a magic veil and into the majestic aura it radiated. The house, desolate and decrepit, was actually a magnificent sight to behold. Tall and statuesque, its charm and elegance loomed over the Muggle village in invisible solidarity. Even the iron-wrought gate lost its vine under the veil. Upon the hill, the house was far from abandoned.

Inside, past the large double oak doors and around the grand staircase, a young girl, no older than nine years, sat upon a plush dark green seat in the back parlor, her grey-blue eyes fixed on the fireplace. Her hands were folded in her lap and her legs were crossed at the ankles, dangling off the edge of the seat where her feet could hardly reach the floor. Her head bobbed about to the rhythm of the song she was humming. 

Disrupting her anxious eyes, a small house-elf wearing an old, dusty doily ran into the parlor, clutching a hair brush in her shaking hands. “M-miss Lavinia, you shouldn’t be in here so soon!! Our g-guests haven’t arrived yet, and y-you hair!!!”

The house elf jumped onto the seat and started tugging at the young girl’s slightly tangled raven locks. 

“Toodles, it’s fine! I brushed it myself,” she yelled, trying to pry the house-elf off her head.

“N-no, Miss Lavinia,” Toodles screeched, frantically brushing out Lavinia’s hair. “Y-you must look presentable for the Blacks!!”

With a great heave, Lavinia managed to get the house-elf off her head. “I said I look fine! I’m just waiting, is all.” She turned her head back to face the fireplace and smirked. “Mummy and Daddy say they have two boys my age. I’ve never had anyone my age to play with, Toodles, you know that!”

Anxious and frightened sounds were escaping from Toodles’ mouth, the hair brush still clutched tight her hands. “B-but…”

“No,” Lavinia said with a surprising ferocity for her age. “I’m waiting here.”

“My goodness, Lavinia, prepared to greet our guests tonight, are we?”

“Daddy!!” Lavinia bolted off the couch to run to her father, grabbing him around the legs and giggling.

Laughing, her father picked up Lavinia and hugged her tightly. “I was wondering where you were, and then I heard you screaming at Toodles,” he said, his voice full of playfulness. 

“She was trying to brush my hair when I already had it perfect,” Lavinia said through a pout.

Chuckling, her father placed Lavinia down and patted her head. “I’m sure you did. Now, where’s your mother? Toodles!!”

The house elf had been hiding behind a statue when her master had entered the room. Her shaking from before had doubled in intensity upon his arrival. “Y-yes, Master D-demetrius?”

“Get Antoinette down here, the Blacks will be arriving any moment.”

The house elf bowed so low, it was a wonder she didn’t topple over. She raced out of the room, her scurrying footsteps echoing throughout the house.

“So,” Demetrius said, looking down at his daughter. “Are you excited to meet the Sirius and Regulus?”

Lavinia nodded enthusiastically, reclaiming her spot upon the plush sofa. “Oh yes!! I don’t know anyone else my age, and now when I go to Hogwarts, I’ll already have friends!”

“Well, you’ll have your cousin, too!”

Lavinia laughed and flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Daddy, he doesn’t count!”

“No?”

Shaking her head, Lavinia’s eyes focused back onto the still fireplace. “Of course not! He’s older than me, Daddy.”

“Oh, right, right, very true.”

Moments later, Toodles returned, slowly leading a frail woman into the room. Her long, almost white hair was shadowing her face. 

Demetrius turned to his wife and held out his arms. “Antoinette, you look stunning.”

Antoinette clutched at her heavy cloak and shook her head. “Stop flattering me, Demetrius, I’m sure I look as terrible as I feel.”

“Mummy,” Lavinia said, patting the space beside her on the sofa. “Sit by me!!”

Antoinette smiled at her daughter and gingerly made her way to the seat. “Thank you, Lavinia, dear. And my, your hair looks so smooth! Did you brush it yourself today?”

Lavinia nodded vigorously, almost sending her hair back into a tangled mess. “Toodles tried to help, but I already had it perfect.”

“I’m sure you did,” Antoinette said, settling herself beside her daughter and kissing the top of her head. “Dear, when will the Blacks be here?”

Demetrius checked his pocket watch and the clock that sat above the fireplace. “Any moment now. Toodles, get the drinks ready for when our guests arrive, will you?”

The house elf bowed low and rushed again from the room towards the kitchen. As soon as she left, the fireplace lit up with vibrant green flames and Lavinia nearly hopped off the seat from excitement. “They’re here! They’re here!!”

“They might be sending the boys first,” Demetrius said, moving towards the fireplace. And sure enough, the first figure to emerge was a small, timid boy. He stumbled over the rug when he stepped into the room, but Demetrius was able to catch him before he fell.

“Dear boy, be careful!”

The young boy blushed and nodded, wringing his hands together nervously. The green flames behind him roared to welcome a second small figure, albeit taller and sprightlier than the boy he followed. He jumped into the room and looked up at his hosts.

“Welcome, young sirs,” Demetrius said. “Your parents are on their way, I assume?” 

Both boys nodded, examining the room carefully.

“Excellent!”

And without fail, the green fire erupted violently again and a rough looking woman with sharp features emerged. She stepped into the room and grabbed Demetrius’ extended hand.

“Walburga,” he said, bringing her hand to his lips for a gentle kiss. “And Orion will be here shortly?”

“Yes,” the woman said coolly, snatching her hand back rather quickly. She walked over to the seat and greeted Antoinette with a kiss on each cheek. “Lovely to see you, Antoinette, have you been well?”

Antoinette laughed weakly, but smiled. “Trying my best,” she said.

Once more, the green fire flickered wildly as a tall man walked effortlessly through the flames into the parlor. As he stepped out of the fireplace, the green flames died to nothing and he walked towards Demetrius. The two of them shared a ruggedly enthusiastic hand shake. “Good to see you, Demetrius!”

“And you, Orion! Welcome, welcome!”

Walburga’s dark, cool eyes scanned Lavinia. “And this is your daughter?”

“Yes,” Antoinette said, lightly taking her daughter in her arms. “This is our Lavinia.”

Lavinia hopped off the sofa and curtseyed to her guests. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, welcome to our home.”

Walburga let out a huff and a laugh and ran her fingers through a strand of shimmering blonde hair in the mass of black. “Is she going grey early or is that her mother’s genes poking through?”

Lavinia pouted but her mother merely laughed. “We’ve always wondered how they got there, but yes, it is from my side.”

“Well, she’s lovely, Demetrius,” Orion said, his voice booming. “You’ve met our boys, I trust? Sirius, Regulus, have you introduced yourselves to the Agons yet?”

The small boy shook his head, but the taller boy seemed not to be paying attention.

“Sirius,” Walburga yelled, glaring back at her eldest son. “Answer your father.”

The taller boy, Sirius, groaned and bowed his head forward slightly in introduction. “My name is Sirius,” he said through a pout.

“I’m Regulus,” the smaller boy whimpered, trying to wipe some ash that remained on his nose. 

“Charmed,” Antoinette said, moving to get up from her spot on the seat.

“Don’t, Antoinette, please. They can walk over themselves,” Walburga said, her eyes still glaring at her sons. “Well, don’t just stand there!”

The two boys walked over, Regulus hurrying in his steps, Sirius taking his time. They each took Antoinette’s hand upon approaching and placed awkward kisses upon her knuckles before moving over to Demetrius to test out their handshakes. 

“Ho, ho, quite the arm there, Sirius,” Demetrius said, shaking off his hand in the air after Sirius’ shake.

“Thanks,” the young boy said curtly.

Toodles entered the room with a tray of empty glasses and a bottle full of amber liquid and upon seeing the new additions in the room, almost dropped the tray to her feet. She attempted to bow as best she could with the tray in her hands, sputtering over her words. “M-mr. Black!! Mrs. B-black!! It’s a p-pleasure!”

“Toodles, don’t drop the drinks,” Demetrius said scathingly, gesturing towards the coffee table with his head. “Lavinia, dear, now might be a good time to give these young gentlemen a tour of the house while we adults chat. Dinner should be ready within the hour.”

Lavinia hopped off the seat and curtseyed at the boys before leading them out of the parlor and towards the front of the house. “This way,” she called, leading them to the foyer. “Welcome to the Agon Estate!” She twirled in the foyer and held her arms out, presenting the house to her guests.

“What’s upstairs,” Sirius said, eyeing the grand staircase and the landing above.

Lavinia giggled and rolled her eyes coyly. “Oh, just our bedrooms, and my father’s study. _That_ should be fun to look at!”

“His study? What’s in there, a bunch of spell books? Doesn’t sound very interesting, we have those at home, too.”

Lavinia kept her stare, eager to impress this rude boy at the foot of her stairs. He seemed to think that her house offered nothing interesting, so she flipped her hair back, making sure her voice boomed in the foyer as she spoke. “Well, I’m sure you don’t use your parents’ books like I do.”

“But…you’re too young to use magic like that,” Regulus said, his voice high and meek.

“How old are you?” Sirius asked.

“I’ll be 10 next month,” Lavinia said with a proud nod.

Sirius guffawed, his arms crossed across his chest. “You’re no older than me! You’re too young to use magic like that.”

Sirius’ incredulous look offended Lavinia. He had no clue about the Agon house life. Sticking up her nose and straightening her back, she gave him a powerful glare. “You’re right, I am much too young to understand all the spell books. But the _potions_ books do come in handy.”

“You’re all talk,” Sirius said, rolling his eyes. “Potions? Really?”

As much as Sirius Black was irritating every one of Lavinia’s nerves, she quite enjoyed to challenge his doubts brought her. With a smirk, she put her foot on the first step of the grand staircase. “Want proof?” 

With a running start, Lavinia sped up the stairs and towards the left to the door of her father’s study. She placed her hand on the knob and gingerly opened the door. The walls were lined with shelves, filled with books upon books. A wooden chair sat beneath a desk in the middle of the study where a single candle dimly lit the room, its light looming over the book spines. She walked over to a stool and climbed it to reach a book on a higher shelf. Brining it down, she showed the cover to her guests. 

Sirius immediately roared in laughter. “That’s not a potions book!”

The thick book in Lavinia’s hands read Home Remedies for Every Day Use: 1,000 Ways to Aide in the Illness of Ordinary Wizarding Folke. She tossed it to the ground where it made an uproarious thump. “No, but I bet you wouldn’t know how to brew any of those remedies.”

“Of course I could, any dummy can pick up a book and brew a simple remedy.”

“Well, I…” Lavinia started to say before a clatter of glass and a loud, collective gasp caught her ears. The boys heard it too, but they didn’t run down the grand staircase with the same urgency as she did. Lavinia raced into the parlor where her mother was crouched on the ground, coughing so hard she could barely breathe, with her father and the Blacks huddled over her. She ran to her mother and took her arm over her shoulder. “I’ve got you, Mummy,” she said, leading her mother around the broken wine glass and out of the parlor.

“Lavinia,” she heard her father say apprehensively.

She was already out of the parlor and towards the kitchen before she could hear her father, dragging her mother in her arms with Sirius and Regulus frantically following. “Toodles,” she yelled, hoping the house elf would abide to her duties.

Entering the kitchen, Lavinia was met with a loud crack, Toodles apparently Apparating while running in circles. Her already big eyes were enormous with tears and she was shaking. “Wh-what do we do? And with c-company? Oh, the m-master will be displeased, he will!!”

“Toodles,” Lavinia moaned, heaving her mother onto a chair. “Get the potion! Now!!”

The elf nodded and scurried to the ice box, pulling out a small cauldron filled with a translucent, green liquid. 

“Give it two taps!”

The elf tapped the cauldron twice with her fingers and the room erupted in the scent of peppermint. Sirius and Regulus gasped in awe at the white smoke that sizzled from the cauldron as Toodles rushed it over to Lavinia and her mother. “H-here, Miss Lavinia!”

Lavinia snatched the cauldron out of Toodles’ hands and tipped it gently over her mother’s lips. “Just two sips, Mummy,” she said, hoping a coughing spurt wouldn’t cause the green liquid to splatter across the room.

In a gulp that sounded like a choke, Lavinia’s mother took her sips and breathed in a clean, fresh breath. 

“Wow,” she heard Regulus say from the kitchen door.

Smiling, Lavinia hugged her mother tightly. “It worked, Mummy!! It worked!”

Antoinette Agon’s breath was still rather ragged, but she smiled all the same and hugged her daughter back. “Y-yes, it did, thank you, sweetie.”

Before long, Demetrius Agon stormed into the kitchen with his guests at his heels, his face contorting with concern and rage. “Lavinia, what on Earth was that?”

“Mummy needed me,” she yelled, her arms still tight around her mother.

“Lavinia, the Healers said to leave the care to Toodles, not…”

“She doesn’t do it right!” Lavinia stood her ground; she would not let her father scold her for helping her mother. “She gets too nervous. Mummy would still be in a fit without me! I’m better at it!”

Seething, Demetrius turned to his guests. “I am terribly sorry for this Orion, Walburga.”

“No need,” Walburga said, her wine glass still in hand. “Though it seems best to cut our stay short. I didn’t expect Antoinette’s illness to have progressed this far.” She downed her drink and placed the glass firmly on the counter. “Sirius, Regulus, we’re leaving.”

The boys looked around the room apprehensively. Looking up at their mother, however, gave them the cue to leave the room.

Lavinia craned her neck around her father, eager to catch the stunned look on Sirius’ face. She smirked at him and stuck her nose up. “Told you,” she said, and the doors closed before she could see his reaction.


	2. Family Matters

It goes beyond saying that upon the arrival of Lavinia Agon’s Hogwarts letter on her eleventh birthday, promptly on May 27th, 1971, she was more than ready for her trials at school. She would walk around the Agon Estate, eagerly reading through her supply list in a robust volume in an attempt to get her parents to take her shopping.

“I’m sure I have some of the books on that list, Lavinia, there’s no need to buy new ones,” her father said, scanning the list of required texts that adjoined her letter.

“But Daddy, I want new books!”

Her mother held Lavinia tight, a faint rosy glow of pride on her sunken cheeks. “Oh, Demetrius, we can afford new books for Lavinia, there’s no reason not to buy them,” she said, placing a kiss on her daughter’s cheek.

“It’s not a matter of money,” Demetrius responded, still checking the list. “It just seems silly to have double copies of one book in the same house. Look! _Hogwarts: A History_. I doubt much has changed in that book, and it’s not as if that Professor Binns ever talked about anything other than goblin rebellions.”

Lavinia pouted at her father, her fists balled up at her sides. “Daddy!”

Waving the list back to his daughter, he grumbled. “We’ll see. Honestly, you’ll only touch some of those books once and never look at them again. Just use mine.” 

It took several weeks’ worth of convincing before her father gave in to her request, though he still marked on the list which books he already owned. Well into the summer, the Agon family set off for Diagon Alley, preparing in the parlor to travel by Floo Network.

“I believe my brother will be in London today, dear,” Antoinette said, clutching at her shawl.

“That’s right, he had said he had some business to attend. That means we might see your cousin today, too,” Demetrius said with a wink to his daughter.

Lavinia wiggled out of her mother’s arms and headed right for the fireplace, grabbing a handful of Floo Powder. “I can’t wait, I have so many questions for him!!”

“You always do,” her mother said, smiling sweetly.

With a giggle, she stepped into the fireplace and tossed the handful of powder onto the ground, saying loudly, “Diagon Alley!” Green flames rose and tickled her legs as she was pulled out of her own fireplace and flew past numerous parlors and living rooms before arriving at her destination at a large and bustling pub. 

“Ah, welcome, welcome, miss! Here for Hogwarts shopping? You’re quite early,” the man beside the fireplace said.

Ignoring the man, Lavinia stepped out and brushed the ash and soot from her skirt. She turned to face the fireplace, waiting for her parents, but instead, they Apparated together just beside her. 

“Sorry, dear,” her father said, holding on tightly to her mother. “Your mother had a small fit.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Lavinia’s mother said, coughing and prying herself from her husband’s hold. She made her way to a table and took a seat. “You two go shopping, I’ll just wait here. If you see my brother, let him know where I am, alright?”

Lavinia looked upon her with concern and grabbed her hand, squeezing it tight. “Okay, Mummy,” she said, kissing her cheek and reaching for her father’s hand.

The duo walked out of the pub, into the busy streets of Diagon Alley and Lavinia double checked her list. “Okay, Daddy, we have a lot to get!”

“Except the books, you’re using mine. There are a few I don’t have, but we can save those for last,” he said, glancing down at the marks he made on the list.

Lavinia bounced on her balls of her feet, holding her supply list tightly and glancing around at all the shops. “Oh, should I get my wand first?”

“Hm, yes, I suppose we could go to Ollivander’s,” Demetrius Agon said. “It’s a shame Gregorovich doesn’t have shops in Britain; my father took me abroad to get my wand. But I suppose Ollivander makes some quality wands as well. Lead the way, my dear.”

With a running start, Lavinia darted towards the wand shop, excited to see that there wasn’t a single person crowding around it. She pushed the door open and peeked inside, being greeted by the rich, rustic smell of wood.

“Yes, good afternoon, Miss…”

“Agon,” Lavinia said, stepping into the shop once she saw the owner of the voice. “Lavinia Agon.”

Mr. Ollivander hummed loudly and looked around at his shelves of wands. “Agon…can’t say I’ve helped an Agon with their wand in many years. A very old name, yes?”

Lavinia nodded and walked around, gliding her fingers along the boxes, some worn with age and others sharp and new. “Mhmm, my father and I are the last-born Agons in the Wizarding World,” she said, craning her neck to peek down the slender aisles. 

“I see. So it’s important to pair you with an exceptional wand,” Mr. Ollivander said, tapping on wand boxes until he pulled one out from the shelf. “Let’s start with this one. An English Oak wand with a unicorn hair core. 10 inches, very stiff.”

He pulled the wand from its box and handed it to Lavinia. Eagerly, she grabbed it and held it above her head. There was a loud snap and bright pink light, but the sizzling sound that followed made Mr. Ollivander snatch the wand from her hand. 

“No, no, not at all, let’s see…”

Lavinia stared at the shelves while Mr. Ollivander kept tapping boxes. She heard him pull one from a shelf when a very tattered box high above caught her eye. Before she could open her mouth to alert him, she had another wand in her hand.

“Spruce, unicorn hair, 14 inches, springy. Give it a go, Miss Agon!”

She held the wand, but felt nothing. She turned her head back up to the tattered box above and pointed to it with the dud wand in her hands. “What’s in that box?”

Mr. Ollivander shook his head and plucked the spruce wand from her hands. “No, no…”

It seemed that Mr. Ollivander didn’t hear her, but quite enjoyed testing wands that wouldn’t work. With one wand, Lavinia nearly singed off one of his eyebrows. It wasn’t until after her seventh wand that Mr. Ollivander noticed the tattered box above.

“Could that one…no, such a tricky wood, but…”

Lavinia glowed when he chose the box she had been eyeing. “What’s in that one?”

The tattered box nearly crumbled in Mr. Ollivander’s hands when he grabbed it from the high shelf. He pulled out the wand and examined it in the light. “Acacia, a very rare wood, very unusual for wands, but you are a very rare witch, being the last of your family name, yes?”

Lavinia nodded her head so excitedly, her hair nearly tangled.

Smiling, he handed her the wand. “Acacia, dragon-heartstring core. 12 ¼ inches, slightly bendy.”

Lavinia could feel the warmth of her wand travel all the way up her arm. She held it above her head and watched the golden light swirl from the tip.

“That’s the one!!”

Mr. Agon had entered the shop and smiled at the scene. “So, it looks like you’ve found one,” he said, taking out his bag to count out his gold. “Good afternoon, Mr. Ollivander. How much for the wand, then?”

While her father finalized the sale, Lavinia skipped out into the street and held her wand tight to her chest. The reality of Hogwarts was that much closer for her to feel. In moments, her father stepped out of the shop and smiled at her. “It’s a good wand, then?”

She nodded enthusiastically, clutching to it until her fingers were bright red.

“So, shall we get you an owl? It seems to be the most sensible animal, if you want one,” her father said, scanning the shops. 

Lavinia paused, considering the prospect of having her own owl at school. She hadn’t thought of taking one with her, but her mother’s frail condition made her reconsider her previous thought. “An owl might be good, Daddy,” she said, peering down the street at all the shops. “That way, I can better keep up with how Mummy is doing.”

Demetrius smiled and pulled his daughter to his side. “Well, then, an owl we shall get,” he said, kissing the top of his daughter’s head.

The afternoon went by quickly as Demetrius Agon’s moneybag became lighter. After finally deciding which books were absolutely necessary to buy (the shop keep kept insisting that the newer editions were completely necessary for every first year Hogwarts student), Lavinia and her father went to return to the pub, hungry for some dinner.

“Is that who I think it is,” said a drawling voice from behind them.

Lavinia’s eyes widened and she spun around on her toes to see her cousin. “Lucius!!”

The blond teen laughed as his younger cousin ran into his arms, twirling her in the air.

“Mummy said you might be here! Is Uncle Abraxas with you?”

Placing her onto the ground, Lucius laughed and brushed back his silvery, shoulder length locks. “Yes, he’s somewhere. We saw Auntie at the pub earlier and I knew I had to see if you were still shopping. Uncle Demetrius, good to see you,” he said, shaking his uncle’s hand firmly.

“Yes, we just finished up,” he said, returned the handshake with vigor. “And congrats on making prefect. Lavinia’s been rapt with excitement every since we heard the news.”

Lucius puffed out his chest, glowing with pride, and smirked at his cousin. “That’s right, and I trust my dear little cousin to do well for her house!”

The three of them joined in on a hearty laugh until something caught Lucius’ eyes, distracting him from the precious family moment.

Lavinia immediately followed his gaze when she noticed the slight blush that appeared on his cheeks. At the corner of Gringotts stood a beautiful girl with immaculate blonde hair, elegantly flowing past her waist. A devilish grin spread across Lavinia’s mouth and she started to laugh. “Lucius, is that girl your girlfriend?”

His grey eyes widened and his face grew darker with flush. “Excuse me?” 

Lavinia roared with laughter and ran off to the girl. “I bet she is!” 

However, her race was cut short when her cousin grasped her collar frantically. “Stop!” Lucius’ voice nearly cracked, which led to more laughs from Lavinia and the captured attention of the blonde girl in question. Quickly, she turned away and from the distance, Lavinia could spot pink spread across her cheeks.

Lavinia looked back and smirked up at her cousin. “She _is_ your girlfriend,” she sang, delighted in the social torture she was dealing her cousin.

“Isn’t that one of Cygnus and Druella’s daughters?” Lavinia’s father craned his neck around the duo.

Lucius gave a dry cough, trying to regain his composure after Lavinia’s performance. “Yes, that’s, um, Narcissa Black.”

“Black?!” Lavinia gasped and at the moment she turned to face the blonde girl once more, she saw her joined by a rather large crowd. Among them she could spot the two boys she had met just the previous year. “Daddy, that’s Sirius and Regulus!!”

“It is,” Demetrius said, and his voice boomed when he spotted his friend. “Orion, good to see you!”

The crowd of the Black family noticed the three and both men approached each other, meeting with a hearty handshake. 

“School shopping, eh?” Orion Black said, clapping a hand on Demetrius’ back. “And this young gentlemen is…”

“Lucius Malfoy, sir.”

Orion’s eyes widened, and Lavinia could see Narcissa at the back of the crowd, hiding her face behind a shopping bag. Lavinia met eyes with the two young Black boys and smiled, but Sirius merely scoffed in return. Regulus apprehensively met her gaze with a wave.

“Malfoy? So you’re Abraxas’ son, yes?”

Demetrius nodded and wrapped his arm around his nephew. “Yes, and newly appointed Slytherin prefect!”

Orion laughed and smacked his hand against Lucius’ back so hard, the blonde teen nearly fell over. “Good job, son! Be sure to keep an eye on this one,” he said, nudging his eldest son. “He’s bound to be a trouble maker.”

Sirius groaned and rolled his eyes, exhaling a tired puff of air.

“Walburga, lovely to see you again,” Demetrius said, grabbing the woman’s hand and placing a kiss on her decorated fingers.

“Likewise, Demetrius. And your wife is…?”

Antoinette Agon arrived at the brief mention of her, on the arm of her brother, Abraxas Malfoy. “We arrived at quite the party didn’t we,” he said, stopping beside his son.

The adults joined in more conversation as Lavinia slipped her way towards her two friends. “Hogwarts is so close! Aren’t you excited, Sirius?”

Sirius jumped, unaware that Lavinia had slipped by him, but he smiled and glanced up at his parents. “Oh yes, I’m counting the days,” he said, his smile on growing wider.

Before Lavinia could open her mouth for a response, her father beaconed her from the crowd. “Lavinia, time to go!”

She groaned. “But we just met up with everyone!”

Her mother laughed and clutched onto her husband’s arm. “You’ll have plenty of time to socialize when term starts, my dear,” she said in her breathy voice.

Just looking at her mother was enough to tell Lavinia that her shopping trip had ended. She sighed heavily but turned to wave goodbye to both Sirius and Regulus. “Until term, then,” she said, and skipped towards her cousin to give him a tight squeeze. 

Rejoining her parents, Lavinia walked back to the pub to make the trip back to the Estate. She glanced behind at the crowd and saw her cousin approach the pretty girl. She smiled and turned her gaze forward; Hogwarts was waiting for her.


End file.
